ChatGPT is coming soon.
Mercedes-Benz said Thursday that U.S. drivers can use ChatGPT to power some of their luxury cars in a test program that begins June 16.
Compatible with approximately 900,000 vehicles equipped with the automaker’s “MBUX” system, ChatGPT will be downloaded over-the-air after the driver opts in via the Mercedes app or voice command, the company said. The test will last three months, during which time Mercedes will learn how drivers use the technology.
Mercedes says ChatGPT will make its car systems’ answers sound more natural and allow drivers to ask for destination information or solve other questions, such as what to cook for dinner.
The automaker has previously let drivers and passengers make a series of requests via voice, such as turning on the seat heaters.
The ChatGPT deal brings business to Microsoft, which is offering a version of the popular chatbot through its cloud.
Rival Amazon has long been working to get its voice assistant Alexa in more cars, and now Microsoft has an answer by investing in OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.
The German automaker said in a press release that drivers will not only be able to issue commands with the words “Hey Mercedes,” but will also be able to have a conversation with their car.
Microsoft said in a separate blog post that ongoing plug-in integration could one day let drivers make restaurant reservations, book movie tickets and perform other tasks right from the wheel.
The results of the test program will inform Mercedes’ plans to add such artificial intelligence in other countries and in other languages, the company said. It added that the voice data is stored, anonymized and analyzed in the Mercedes Cloud.
Rival General Motors said in March it was exploring the use of ChatGPT in vehicles as part of a broader partnership with Microsoft.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
